Microsoft paid billions for a license to Nokia's patents, but the company has made explicit that Nokia still owns the patents. The genius of this move is that it allows Microsoft to double down on its patent war with Android. Microsoft boasts that the majority of Android phones sold worldwide have already paid for a license to Microsoft patents. By 2011, patent licensing revenue exceeded Microsoft's revenue from Windows Phone.

Now, Nokia can go after Android phone makers for royalties - even ones that have already paid Microsoft.

"Without a physical mobile business, Nokia is actually much far more nimbler and freer to maximize its IP potential, perhaps even more than MSFT have already done.

On what basis are you making that comment? They sold their phone business, patents would have been dealt with by their legal teams. So what has changed to make it easier to maximize their IP? Just because their overall business is smaller doesnt magically increase their legal team's size/capacity, they could have easily have shifted focus to IP issues without the sale. "

Countersuites: tying other party up in legal issues, legal costs, injunctions, blocking product sales etc... pure IP companies (trolls) don't have to worry about being countered - this is why they exist.